Childhood of my dreams.

Break of dawn. She was up before me. She was already out in the verandah cleaning the front yard and preparing it for the grand event. She only nudged me gently but let me sleep some more if I wanted to. Afterall the front yard has to wait for the princess to awaken even if it takes a while longer. At last when I was awake, I refused to brush so I could join her quickly. She was already peering at the notebook trying not to get any mud on it while looking at the details of the dots and the patterns. I had asked her to look at it once the night before but she said ' I dont think its complicated.. if I put my mind to it, I can do it.. maybe better than you.' and now.. look how shes struggling.. erasing, adding dots, rows.. columns.. phew.. amma why dont you just do as I say...

I had the task of joining the dots to make the pattern. I had already done it in my mind.. there is some light on the eastern horizon but not enough to let go of the lantern. The neighbours have started too. We must complete soon before the milkmen and paperwallahs start arriving... we need to finish our coloring and draw borders so they know they cannot encroach like last year. We did not want to adorn ours with the tyre marks again.. finally... she is done with the dots.. askew on one side.. but thats ok. I may just be able to correct it with my master technique of... well.. connecting the dots.

Ok.. here we go.. join them just like I have been revising in my head till now.. and now the form is becoming clearer with the early morning light.. We may have to reinforce the lines once more.. what with the morning mist dampening the powder. The all important task of choosing the colors was undertaken by her.. as usual one step ahead of me.. nudging me pushing me.. always with me. dearest amma. We fill the colors in .. the pink petals and the gray leaves ..grey? you ask? why not? its a good combination.. that of the evening skies. we make our own rules.. this is what makes us different..

Now the bright sunlight is upon us and we are beginning to sweat a little from all the effort.. but nothing matters now.. neither the heat.. nor the dirty feet and hands. Our project is done. We have the beautiful muggu (pattern) ready and its time to wash up and put on the new dress... let the neighbours sweat :)